Tim Easterby on big race plans for star sprinters Art Power and Winter Power

The four-year-old grey, owned by King Power Racing, opened his account for the season with a five-length romp in the six-furlong Group Three on Saturday.

He will now try to better his creditable performance last autumn, when he was only beaten a length in fourth place behind Glen Shiel, in the Group One contest at Ascot on Saturday, October 16.

“It was a very good performance in Ireland and he’s come out of it really well,” said Great Habton-based Easterby who is enjoying a career-best season.

“He’s in good order and he goes to Ascot next time. He ran well last year.”

Easterby believes the key to Art Power is for him to be ridden with restraint.

“He just wants riding with a bit of patience. That’s what he wants and he could win anything,” added the trainer who recently celebrated his 60th birthday.

Easterby reported his other crack sprinter, Winter Power, to be in fine shape ahead of the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

“She’s in great form and goes to the Prix Abbaye,” he said.

“With a bit of luck she can repeat her Nunthorpe performance in France.”

Winter Power put up a blistering display to land York’s five-furlong showpiece by a length and a quarter from subsequent Haydock Sprint Cup scorer Emaraaty Ana, but disappointed in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh earlier this month after running too free in the early stages.

It was one of the few disappointments in a remarkable 2021 campaign that saw the Easterby team saddle their 127th winner earlier this week when Triple Jaye prevailed at Newcastle, surpassing the yard’s 2019 tally.

And Easterby, also a Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer, proved his versatility over both codes when the Jamie Hamilton-ridden Cilluirid triumphed at Sedgefield yesterday.

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